Just One Thing
by Person4
Summary: As the date of her debut approached, it became more and more usual for Olive to disappear to Tobi's studio for entire days at a time. Based on the dancer and Cube-marriage ending. ::Princess Maker 2::


As the date of her debut approached, it became more and more usual for Olive to disappear to Tobi's studio for entire days at a time as she did her best to absolutely perfect her dance, and so Cube didn't think anything of it when she didn't come home one night. He knew that other people might think it was strange for him to be perfectly fine with the fact that his fiancee didn't even send word to let him know that she'd be gone, but he knew that he had nothing to fear. A thousand fights in the streets had proven that Olive could handle any danger that might threaten her, a thousand proposals turned down before she confessed her feelings for him proof that he didn't need to worry about any other man stealing her heart. Within her strong body she held a gentle and sensitive heart, and she never would have confessed to him if there was any chance it would prove fickle so soon. It was still hard to believe that she had chosen _him_ when so many more successful, more _human_, men had come seeking her hand, and when he'd never even have thought she might consider him and would have been content to be nothing more than her faithful servant forever if she hadn't let him know her feelings, but he never feared losing her.

He only started worrying about her the next day, when decided to bring her lunch and discovered that she wasn't at Tobi's after all.

"I'm sorry, my dear," she said as she meandered through her class, stopping now and then to correct a student's posture or movements, with Cube trailing behind her. "She told me not to expect her for a few days. Why, I'd assumed that she wanted to spend the time with you; I know that I've been keeping her more busy with concerns aside from the wedding than a soon-to-be bride should be. I am sorry about that."

"Please, don't be," Cube was quick to reassure her. "Olive loves to dance so much, and you have been planning this debut since before we ever were engaged."

She smiled faintly and bowed her head slightly towards him, accepting his words, but returned to their original subject. "I'm afraid that I don't know where she is if she hasn't been home. She didn't tell me anything about her plans."

"Don't worry, Lady Tobi, if Olive said she'd only be a few days then I'm sure she'll be back safely soon. Thank you for trying to help."

"You're welcome. She is one of my dear students, after all; I only wish I could have been of more use."

Cube said his good-byes and left the studio, then made his way straight to one of the town's back alley's, where he couldn't be seen when he spread his wings wide and launched himself into the air.

It's only took him moments to detect Olive now that he knew he needed to seek her out, the feel of her spirit long familiar after so many years spent with all his senses stretched out towards her every time she went on an adventure, ready to fly to her and get her to the safety of home the moment he felt her life force start to fade. As she'd gotten older, and her heart grew so warm and loving that even the monsters that roamed the wilderness stopped wanting to harm her as long as she offered them a kind word, he'd stopped needing to be so constantly alert, but he still could recognize the feel of her life force from any distance.

He'd thought that he'd find her in the city still, maybe spending time with some of her friends or maybe spending a few days at one of her old part-time jobs for a change of pace after spending more time than she ever had before in her life doing just one thing, but he was surprised (and very briefly panicked; what would have happened if she'd been mauled by a wolf the night before when nobody had known where she was?) to find her off in the mountains instead.

He considered just going home then, and waiting for her like he had through her many past adventures, only occasionally checking to make sure she was still strong and safe. He wouldn't want her to think that just because they were getting married he'd suddenly start hounding her when there was something she wanted to do or acting like he'd forgotten how very capable she was. He'd never once in the past just shown up when she wasn't badly injured.

But... he did still have the lunch he'd made for her. And he would like to at least ask when she was planning on coming home.

He found her sitting on a stairway leading to nowhere, staring at a triple-bladed sword that she had lying across her lap. The area, the sword, even Olive herself absolutely reeked of the heavens, making a small part of him deep down inside that was still more firmly attached to his infernal nature flinch backwards and try to convince him to flee.

He sat down on the stairs beside her instead, so close that their bodies were pressed together at arm and hip. "Has something happened, Mist-- Olive?" he asked, catching himself quickly when he started to call her by her old title instead of her name; though in all other ways their transition from butler and mistress to lovers had been surprisingly easy--perhaps in part because she'd never really treated him like a servant--it was difficult for him to switch from what he'd been calling her since the day she'd come into his life years before.

She leaned into him, pulling her eyes away from the sword to meet his. He only noticed dazed and distant she looked once he was able to see her face clearly, and hoped that it wasn't a sign that the cold had started to get to her in the night. "Cube, I--" she started, then glanced down at the sword again, her mouth twisting into a strange grimace of a smile, a look of complete disbelief, before she finally completed her thought, "I defeated The God of War in single combat. He gave me his sword."

Of every explanation she might have given him for what she was doing there, she'd managed to come up with one he would never have expected. One which he hardly found possible to even believe, except that he knew that she'd never been a liar, especially not to him. He knew that she was strong, far stronger than any human he'd ever met save perhaps her father, and with her magical skills to back up her physical ones she surpassed even him, but this was a feat he would have been sure was beyond her. Even Lucifon had never once dared to test his sword against The God of War's, even though it was well known how dearly he loved a challenging fight.

"He gave me _his sword_," she repeated, shaking her head slowly with her eyes wide. "I didn't know if I could refuse it, or if that would be incredibly rude, or if he'll be insulted if I take it but never use it... I'm a _dancer_ now, I don't need a sword like this. Even if I wasn't, I don't know how to fight with a three-bladed weapon."

Cube reached out and gently unwrapped her hand from around the hilt of the sword then carefully lifted it from her lap and set it at his other side, behind the basket containing the food he'd brought for her, where it would be out of her sight. Then he took her hand between both of his and held it tightly. "Olive, _why_ were you fighting The God of War?"

"I just wanted one last great adventure before my debut. Once my career begins, I won't be able to fight like this again; nobody would want to watch a dancer covered in bandaged battle wounds." She slowly leaned forward until her head had dropped to his shoulder. "I've met him here before, and knew that I could fight him with all my strength but that he would just let me go when I lost. I never expected to _win_."

He freed one of his hands so he could wrap his arm around her shoulder. "Olive, if you're having second thoughts about your career, I'm sure Tobi--"

"No!" she cut him off so strongly that it was almost a yell. "No, I love to dance, there's nothing that I'd rather do. Even Saturn approves. I've always been a little afraid that she wouldn't, it's such an unimportant job compared to something like Papa's heroism, but she came to me at the top of the stairs and let me know that she knows how happy this life has made me, and that she's glad for all the joy I've found." Her hand tightened around his, her thumb stroking once across the top of his fingers. "For _all_ of it."

Cube's throat momentarily went tight as he realized what she was saying. He had never told her that there was a part of him that worried about what her patron deity must think of their union. He knew her heart, and his own, and for the most part that was all that mattered, but it wasn't possible for him to entirely forget watching over her very closely, and who might not be entirely pleased that she was soon going to marry a demon. He'd just hoped that if Saturn had been at all displeased her anger wouldn't take the form of holy smitings, or if it did that Lord Lucifon might step in on their behalf; Cube knew that Lucifon held a measure of fondness for Olive, at least, even if it was unlikely that he'd ever offer help for Cube's sake alone.

He had never even realized just how much that small part of him's fear had affected him until he knew that there was no need for it, and suddenly he could breathe entirely freely for the first time in months.

He gave her shoulders one last squeeze, then pulled the basket of food in front of them and opened it. "I've brought lunch for us to share, Olive. For now, just try to clear your mind and enjoy your meal; you can worry about what to do with the sword later. But will you promise me one thing, first?"

She smiled at him, finally appearing closer to calm, and said, "Of course, Darling. What is it?"

"I would never try to make you stay safe at home with me once we're wed, but, please Olive, in the future would you tell me first if you feel the need to leave the city for a while? If you had lost to The War God... if you'd dragged yourself home bloody and beaten when I had even known you were gone... Please, just this one thing."

It was all that he thought he would ever need to ask from her. 


End file.
